Evolution of social stratification in the African states which achieved independence in the 1960s

What popular alliance for the alternative?

What national popular programme might the popular alliance propose?

The rural areas

The urban areas

Organizing the suggestions

What popular alliance for the alternative?

In order to reply to this question, we need to start from a simple
observation: the incapacity of most ruling political classes to undertake a
policy which would overcome the crisis and guarantee decent living conditions
for all strata of the population. If such is the situation, it is not without
reason. We think that it is essentially due to the level of consumption of these
ruling classes and their vast expenditure which lead to a waste of national
resources and the massive impoverishment of the vast majority of the population.

The policy that they have hitherto followed has not made possible
national accumulation for investment to put all the nation's manpower to work.
What is produced by those who work is diverted to minority interests whose
national character is questionable. Only the popular strata can implement a
national popular programme by putting an end to useless expenditure of dubious
national interest.

In our opinion, these popular strata in most countries in Africa
would include the peasantry (farmers, herders, fishermen), the working class,
the intermediate classes, that is, employees, artisans, small traders, the petty
bourgeoisie of officials in the administration, teaching, etc. The interests of
these classes and strata are not always identical. But they can come together in
the phase of constructing a national popular programme.

We believe that every possible pressure from all national and
international agencies must be brought to bear for these strata to secure
freedom of organization. This would be for them the first step to having real
access to the structures of power. They will necessarily transform these
structures since these transformations - transformations in depth - will be the
condition for true and visible improvement in their own conditions of existence
and, by the same token, the improvement of the conditions of existence of all
strata of the population.

On the basis of their common interests, these popular strata could
constitute a popular alliance bringing together their completely free autonomous
organizations They are, we feel, the only ones likely to implement a national
popular programme which could overcome the crisis. That naturally presupposes
that they control every structure of
power.